My nana mom and aunts all bake an assortment of christmas cookies every year. One of those cookies are called Italian Nut Balls. Dough dipped in egg whites and rolled in crushed nuts, a divot pressed into the center then baked. After baking, a dollop of jelly is placed in the center. That’s my favorite Christmas treat.

I love custom cookie cutters. We used to have a set of Turtles ones (still have some around the house… hope we still have Donnie, he’s my favorite).

My mom likes stained-glass-window cookies (you put Lifesavers in the middle of a donut of dough, and it bakes flat and see-through), and Nanaimo bars (which for me are too rich), and birds-nest cookies (coconut in chocolate, yum!), and all sorts of random things like that. Doesn’t make them every year, but I love it when she does (as long as I don’t have to do the dishes — holidays have too many dishes!).

My mom makes a thin, crispy, oatmeal cookie that is flattened with a fork. It’s a Scottish recipe. We don’t often have shortbread, but when we do I noms it. Also there is always both a cherry pie and a mince pie, and I make sure to keep room for both because how would I choose just one?

My preference? if Andi’s mom still wants nothing to do with Amanda, Andi goes to the Smiths for help breaking it to Amanda. Being a parent means knowing when you need to reach out for additional information and ideas to take good care of your kid.

Or Andi keeps talking her up about being a kid with some problems sure, but still a great kid, but without any of it being possibly construed as negative. So she feels pumped up a bit emotionally and we people that rag on Andi can see her as the supporters do so.

What? Just because I can’t stand her doesn’t mean I don’t want to see her get better.

… well, f***. I’d really hoped the shoulder rides would be enough of a distraction.

Though, Selkie is a variable I hadn’t considered before. Last time we saw her she was riding Todd, and I thought she still was (though clearly stopped early enough to grab a plate of munchies), but now that they’re both in a position to hear about Patricia’s rejection… maybe this could be a bonding moment? Possibly? Amanda feeling crappy, and Selkie comforting her? She’s a good enough person to do that. She even made peace with Truck. Then again, as far as Amanda accepting the comfort… well, that could be a different story altogether. I don’t think she’s in the right place to receive ‘pity from the usurper’ without some major lashing out.

Am I the only one noticing she put on her coat and has her hat in her hand?

She’s going outside, most likely for some privacy for her phone call. Unless the girls bundle up and sneak out after her (and sneaking out after dark is kinda hard, since when you open the front door all the light comes with it, alerting Andi that someone’s coming) they’re not going to hear anything.

I doubt it. Amanda has shown in the past that she can switch from treating Selkie as a barely tolerable presence to a target for her hate pretty quickly. Its not the first time. Right now Amanda is focused on what Andi is doing, bullying Selkie isn’t worth the effort…for now.